I am attatching a 300 word draft along with all the sources you need to use and a few bulletpoints from each. Here are the instructions:
Use the UW Libraries Research Guide for J201Links to an external site.
1400-1600 words
Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced
A title
A clearly stated thesis that is underlined in your text
Evidence to support your thesis based in your original research in primary and secondary sources
APA style for in-text citations and reference list
A heading that is formatted like this at the top-left of your paper and has all the same components:
Annie McStudent
J201 – Section 307
April 4, 2022
Word Count: 1565
EDITED 3/30: All the primary sources you cite in your paper, uploaded as PDFs to the Canvas assignment so your TA can consult them. (Previously “appendix” before we talked in lecture today, or can still include as appendix to the main document, important thing is for your TA to be able to view them.)
A close reading means you’ll analyze, among other aspects of coverage, the language used, the quotes selected, the sources, the order of information. Drawing from two different newspapers and noting the differences and similarities should help you determine what aspect of the news coverage you’d like to focus on. For instance, maybe you want to make an argument about straight news in a conservative versus liberal paper. Maybe you’ll want to situate your paper in a question about race by looking at a white newspaper and a Black newspaper. You might find you want to make an argument about specific language, or about sources, or about fairness.
To that end, in addition to comparing and contrasting the ways in which your two newspapers cover the story, as you are reading and coming up with your argument, be sure to think about:
Was the news coverage fair?
Accurate? Transparent? Was the story put in context? What sources were used and how does this shape the coverage? Are there differences in facts between the stories?
What is the purpose of the piece?
To inform the public, to offer analysis, to investigate, to create a public forum?
What kind of article is this?
Is it an editorial or a news article? Straight news or news analysis? (Keep in mind it might not be labeled.) If it’s news, is it from the AP or UPI wire services, or is it a reporter for that newspaper? If it’s AP or UPI, in what other newspapers did this article appear at the same time and in what ways was it altered? Are there differences in headlines? If so, what can you conclude about the way the editors of that paper are shaping their coverage?
What kind of newspaper is this?
Daily? Weekly? Local? National? Were its editorials generally thought to be conservative or liberal? Is it a Black newspaper or a white newspaper? Is it a student newspaper and if so, do its editorials lean conservative or liberal? Are any of these factors shaping coverage?
What is the big picture the newspaper is conveying with their coverage? In other words, are they presenting it a as a story of a riot? Of an attempt for social justice? Of a battle between police and protesters? Something else?
KEEP IN MIND: You won’t answer all of the above questions in your essay, which should instead have a focused argument, or thesis, with tailored evidence, but they should help get you started.
